In modular office systems and other modern office designs it is functionally desirable to mount rail-containing panels to the interior wall of a building or a freestanding wall of the modular office system. The panels comprise a plurality of hanger rails on which may be suspended a variety of work accessories, such as paper trays, storage bins, coat and canister racks and the like. It is also desirable to have the panels removably mounted to the walls of the office system so that the position of the panels may be altered to meet the changing needs of a business. To this end, the panels, or supporting brackets to which the same are attached, are provided, on the rear portions thereof, with hooks or tabs adapted to removably engage the slots of vertical standard rigidly secured to the interior or freestanding walls. For example, the patent to Kulikowski et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,401,222, issued Aug. 30, 1983, discloses a system for mounting a work accessory support rail to a pair of vertical slotted standards. The system includes, on the back surface of the rail, upper and lower mounting flanges adapted to securely receive therebetween a pair of mounting brackets. Each bracket has a plurality of rearwardly-projecting hooks removably received within the slots of the standards.
In order to circumvent damage to the panels and work accessories suspended therefrom and prevent injuries to works which may result from the inadvertent disengagement of the hooks or tabs from the vertical standards, it is desirable to provide a device capable op removably locking the hooks or tabs in engagement with the slots of the standard.
Devices for removably locking the hooks or tabs connected to rail-containing panels and other appurtenances to vertical slotted standards and other similar supports are known. For example, the U.S. Pat. No. 4,228,906 to Jones, issued Oct. 21, 1980, discloses a locking bracket for attaching a horizontal support rail to a vertical slotted standard. The bracket includes an upper downwardly-depending hook extending through aligned slots in the rail and the standard, a central horizontal finger received within another set of aligned slots in the rail and the standard and a lower downwardly-depending hook engaged within a further set of aligned slots in the rail and the standard. The upper and lower hooks interfere with the rear surface of the standard adjacent the slots in which they engage to attach the rail to the standard.
In addition, the U.S. Pat. No. 3,891,172 to Einhorn, issued June 24, 1975, discloses a latch for removably securing an article-supporting member to a multiapertured panel. The support member includes a base and an upwardly-projecting hook extending rearwardly from the upper portion of the base and engaging a selected aperture in the panel. The latch comprises a pin rotatably mounted through the lower portion of the base and an aperture directly below the above-stated selected aperture. A handle is attached to the front end of the pin. The rear end of the pin is provided with a cam spaced from the rear surface of the base and shaped so that, upon rotation of the pin, the cam engages the back side of the panel adjacent the aperture through which it extends to securely mount the support member to the panel.
Further, the U.S. Pat. No. 3,545,626 to Seiz, issued Dec. 8, 1970, discloses a storage structure having a plurality of cross-beams and slotted uprights. A support clip is rigidly secured to each end of each beam and has a series of rearwardly-projecting studs which selectively engage slots in an upright, a hole partially aligned with a slot in the upright and a lock for attaching the cross-beam to the upright. The lock passes through the partially aligned slot and hole to lock the clip to the upright and comprises a shank rotatably engaging the partially aligned slot and hole, a base in flush engagement with the outer surface of the clip, a circular head eccentric with the shank and an arm secured to the base. To securely attach the clip to the upright, the arm is rotated until the head engages the inner surface of the upright. To release the lock, the handle is rotated 180.degree. so as to rotate the head in registry with the slot in the upright permitting outward displacement of the clip and disengagement of the studs with the slots of the upright.